Named by Publishers Weekly, A Best Book of 2016, Mystery/Thriller
"Riveting . . . Recommended for all fans of noir and Nordic crime fiction."—Booklist
"An exciting, yet tear-jerking thriller . . . As the reader watches these young lads turn into the 'Most Wanted' the action races, along with the crushing emotions of lives turned bad by a hideous parent."—Suspense Magazine
"Svensson heartbreakingly blurs the line between criminal and victim in this stunning first of a two-novel series . . . Readers will be eager to see how it all plays out in the sequel."
—Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)
"An extraordinary book that works on every level for which it aims, as a fast-paced thriller, as a psychological portrait of the brilliant and charismatic older brother becoming the father he loathed, and as an exploration of the damage violence wreaks on victims even when they are not physically harmed."
—Brian Bethune, Macleans
"The Father is a heck of a story, skillfully written and . . . darkly told, perfect for sociologists and criminologists, and virtually anyone who has ever cracked open a crime fiction novel and been spellbound."—Bookreporter
"A powerful real-life story."
—Guardian
"The novel The Father tells the incredible true story of the meticulously planned heists committed by young men with neither criminal records nor prior experience in armed holdups . . . a gripping, complete story that covers the whole bank robbery spree, and its bitter end."
—David Shaffer, Minneapolis Star-Tribune
"Superior . . . Builds to a breathless climax."
—The Sun
"The writing is spare and lean, reminiscent of Richard Stark's Parker novels, but the sweep and scope are epic. The drama often lies in what isn't said, and the family dynamics are at once familiar and terrifyingly alien."
—The Herald
"Unbelievably exciting and authentic . . . one of the year's best crime stories."
—Östran (Sweden)
"A flawlessly constructed thriller."
—Femina (Sweden)
"A technically wonderful novel crafted with breathtaking cleverness."
—Corriere della Sera (Italy)
"A book of great depth . . . so plausible and convincing on the psychological mechanisms that lead to crime."
—Diversioni (Italy)
"An exciting story about family, brotherhood, guilt, the relationship between a father and his children, the sense of belonging, and about loyalty."
—Culturamas (Spain)
"Unique and stunning. One of the most powerful novels you'll read this year."—Stephen Booth
"An action-packed page turner —not for the faint of heart."—Elle (Germany)
"A remarkable blend of fact and fiction."—Skanska Dagladet (Sweden)
"A powerful and riveting reading experience."—Deckarbloggen (Sweden)
"The Father is captivating"—LiteraturMagazinet (Sweden)
"The Father is a book that will elect a lot of response, a must-read for every crime lover. Actually, a must for anyone who likes to read."—Hebban (The Netherlands)
"An incredible crime novel"—Brabants Dagblad (The Netherlands)
"It's extremely well written, thrilling, gripping, gruesome, cheerful, anguished, heartwarming, and ice cold —spectacular in all ways. The Father is a world-class piece of fiction."—Fredericia Dagblad (Denmark)
"Totally crazy, totally reckless, and totally brilliant...the best crime thriller of the year."—Nordjyske Stiftstidende (Denmark)
"Svensson pens a compelling narrative with themes of loyalty, obligation, revenge, and independence, paced as tightly and methodically as military tactical maneuvers . . . For fans of Henning Mankell and Scandinavian thrillers in general, The Father is an excellent addition to the genre . . . a sequel will be anticipated greatly."
—Foreword
"The authors works a kind of magic in the book that's evident even in translation; the combination of reporting and novel-writing going on here shouldn't work as well as it does. The Father...is incredibly gripping reading, ever bit as good - in fact, often quite a bit better - than the faddish Swedish crime fiction that's been dominating the fiction bestseller lists for over a decade."
—Open Letters Monthly
"The story of an ever increasingly violent crime spree . . . Fascinating."
—Caryn St. Clair, Bestsellersworld.com
